


After the Storm

by obviouslyelementary



Series: Star Trek: Enterprise [3]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Follow up, Kissing, M/M, No Beta, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: Continuation of 'Soulmarks', but can be read separately (I think)Now that they know, for sure, that they are soulmates, it's time to talk about it. (and make out, if possible)
Relationships: Malcolm Reed/Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Series: Star Trek: Enterprise [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119128
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> OOF this pairing is making me LIVE

How odd it felt, to accept and acknowledge something that had been so present and yet so deeply repressed all his life. The moment commander Tucker left sickbay – doctor's orders so that Malcolm could rest –, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. One that he had previously been unable to recognize or even feel, always weighting him down, keeping him steady, foot firm on the ground. Somehow, he felt as if he was in zero G training once more, except without the motion sickness, without the discomfort, just the strange and pleasant feeling of not being attached anywhere. It also very extremely vulnerable, but in a good way. One Malcolm had never felt before.

Alone in sickbay, he had plenty of time to wonder how things would change now that the truth was out. Fact was, Trip was not a good liar, even worst when it came to things that made him happy, but Malcolm knew he would not betray his trust. However, being soulmates as they were, it would be impossible to avoid all and every contact, specially because they were still coworkers in the same vessel, which meant constant talking and working together. Armory and engineering were deeply connected, and so were they. It would be impossible to keep the secret for too long.

Still, Malcolm was not ready just yet to let all the ship know about the new arrangements.

Despite knowing that Trip would have visit every hour if he could – and silently wishing he had – Malcolm knew the reason why the engineer did not come by sickbay at any point while he was being watched. Not wanting to make the British uncomfortable, he had probably used all the free time he had to work on the engines and core, something that Malcolm knew brought him peace. He would have been working in the armory if he was allowed to leave, but as he wasn't, there wasn't much he could do.

However, he was also not surprised when the doctor allowed him to leave sickbay, a few days later, and he arrived at his quarters to see it in pristine conditions, all cleaned up and organized. Maybe not how he would have done it, but by the small details all around the room, he knew the engineer had done it out of care.

It felt strange, to have someone that cared about him that deeply, despite never having shown it before. The universe did know how to make people work well together.

The walk from sickbay to his quarters had already left Malcolm out of breath. He was extremely sore, his spine aching at any wrong movement, and all he wanted to do was sleep the rest of the day away. He would still be out of commission for a few days, having to work from bed, but that did not mean he didn't wish for visits, specially the one and only Charles Tucker. So, he sent the man a message through the comm system, so that he could see it whenever he was off duty.

To his surprise, the answer came right away.

 _'On my way'_ the american's voice rang through the line, and Malcolm suddenly felt awake and unprepared. He forced himself to get into a sitting position, the fact that he was wearing casual clothes already bothering him deeply. Despite being his soulmate, Trip was also his commanding officer, and old habits were hard to forget.

Trip arrived in a few minutes, three or four to be exact, ringing the small bell and being allowed inside without having to wait. Once the doors opened, Trip looked around, finding Malcolm on the bed, and walked inside slowly, the doors closing as he sat down on the chair next to the bed. Malcolm stared at him, for a minute or so, repressing his body's reaction to blush. Gosh, this was worst than he ever thought possible.

"How are you feeling?" Trip asked then, to break the obvious ice. Malcolm gave him a nod, and leaned back against the wall, relaxing but only slightly.

"Better... Phlox gave me some painkillers, I'm only surviving because of them. My back is still quite sore from the procedure, he says it will stay that way for another two days or so" he said, noticing Trip's worried glance. "I am fine. He said I will recover completely, no after-effects."

"Thank god" Trip mumbled, honestly sounding relieved, something that brought a playful smile to Malcolm's face. "What? What're you smiling about?"

"You're so worried about me. It's very... cliché. Almost like one of those romantic movies you like so much to watch" he said, only then noticing he knew some of Trip's favorite movies: The Notebook, Gone with the Wind, all the adaptations of old writer Jane Austen... How hadn't he realized before, the hopeless romantic his soulmate was?

Despite liking those movies, however, Trip still blushed at the not-so-sudden tease, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"We all need romance in our lives, Malcolm, even those who don't wanit" he said, his accent slightly thicker, as it always got when he was embarrassed. Malcolm chuckled, giving him a nod, despite his personal disagreement with that statement. "You called me here, anything you wanted to... talk about?"

There was hope in his eyes, and Malcolm could see it, clear as the stars outside.

"If I am being honest, I called you here to thank you for keeping my quarters so well put" he said, looking around. Trip opened his mouth to object, but Malcolm spoke before he could. "I know it was you Trip, no one else would have dug through my underwear drawer to find the only picture I have with my family, frame it and placed it next to my computer."

"I... thought you would like to remember them more often" he said, softly, and Malcolm had to admit he looked adorable when he blushed. He gave the American a gentle smile and nodded.

"I know why you did it, I'm not mad. Despite not... agreeing with such a sentimental placement for such a bad picture, I understand you have fond feelings towards your own family and I found the touch very kind, thank you" he said, slowly, hesitantly reaching out with his hand towards Trip's. Affection, something he had never grown used to. He had to be soulmates with the most affectionate man in the whole universe. Trip saw the invitation and Malcolm could almost see the shadow of a tail waggling behind him as he picked the british's hand and intertwined their fingers together. He was blushing, Malcolm was sure he too was blushing, and they stayed silent for a while.

Clearly, neither of them was very much ready for how their relationship would become, now.

The silence did not last too long, however, Trip's always working mind coming up with a question.

"Malcolm... about what you said back in sickbay, when we talked" he started, and the armory officer stared at him, seriously "about keepin' this a secret..."

"Yes?"

"I... don't know if I can exactly do that" he said, looking into Malcolm's eyes, and he could very quickly understand what was wrong.

"Who knows about your mark?"

"My close friends" Trip mumbled. It was worst than Malcolm had thought. "I mean the captain has known since we first met... He was actually hopin' you would be the right Malcolm Reed... anyway, I told Hoshi too, a few months ago, and Travis... Phlox already knew ever since my first physical... some of my subordinates from engineering..."

"Basically the whole ship knows you have 'Malcolm Reed' written on your wrist?" Malcolm asked, trying not to sound annoyed and clearly failing, because Trip's eyes widened in guilt.

"I'm sorry" he mumbled, and Malcolm shook his head.

"You shouldn't apologize, you grew up loving that mark on your skin, I couldn't really expect you wouldn't have told your friends" he mumbled, looking away, trying to find a solution. "Maybe we could just pretend we haven't discovered it yet. Try to act normal around them? No PDA, no looks... you know?"

"I gave you looks way before I even knew you were the right guy, Malcolm" Trip deadpanned, making Malcolm have to hold back a blush. He believed it didn't work. Trip sighed. "I don't wanna make this public but you can't expect me to act as if I didn't... love you now" he added, and this time Malcolm was sure he blushed. "We don't have to tell, but people will know."

"Well... nothing that any starship wouldn't have. Rumors, I mean" Malcolm agreed, before sighing and looking at Trip. "Alright. Lets avoid too much... close contact, but we won't deny it. Is that good for you?"

"Absolutely!" Trip grinned, now looking way less nervous. But there was one more thing Malcolm had to be sure of.

"And no telling anyone outside this vessel" he said, firmly, and Trip deflated again. "I know you want to tell your family all about your soulmate but I can't have this leaking and reaching my parent's ears without my knowledge. Understood?"

"Understood" Trip mumbled, and his uncertainty turned into smugness. "Now, we are both alone in your quarters, holdin' hands... may I kiss you?"

Malcolm swore that for a split second, he almost said no. However, he had been taught not to voice his first thought, and at a second, he agreed that it would be nice. So, he nodded, giving a quick glance to Trip's nice, pink lips, and leaned in, the blond mirroring his movements until they were with their lips attached, a strange, gentle show of affection.

One that did not remain gentle for too long.

Malcolm's hand unattached itself from Trip's and he looked for more contact, raising it to the american's cheek. Curling his fingers around Trip's nape, he pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, tilting his head and licking his bottom lip to ask for passage. Complying, the engineer opened his mouth and let out a sweet huff through his nose, before reaching out and pulling Malcolm closer by his waist. His back ached at that, making him hiss in pain, and they broke away for a second, Malcolm knowing the string of apologies about to leave the engineer's lips.

He had no time for it.

"On the bed" he commanded, using his chief officer voice, and Trip barely had time to think before he moved from the chair to the bed, sitting next to Malcolm, much closer now. The chief of security closed the space between their mouths again, this time more eager, and licked inside Trip's mouth, provoking a delicious moan to leave his chest. Hands reversed, Trip held Malcolm's cheek and shoulder, while Malcolm supported himself by holding and pulling Trip's waist, until they were settled in a somewhat comfortable position.

The kiss lasted long, and it was nice and warm, making Malcolm's heart want to leap out of his chest. No kiss, from men or women, had ever made him feel like this, and for a second he understood the concept of soulmates. Neither of them were perfect, or synced, and Trip did not know how Malcolm liked being kissed. He didn't know Malcolm liked it rough, with bites and teeth and tongue, being more of a traditional kisser, moving his lips and letting the brit take control, and still it was the best kiss Malcolm had ever experienced. It made his heart warm and his head all fuzzy, almost dizzy. And it tasted so good too, weirdly enough. Like a glass of whiskey after a long day of work.

When they pulled away, both breathless and blushing, their eyes locked up and Malcolm was sure he had never seen happiness in its most natural state as he saw it in commander Tucker's eyes. They were glistening, like a beautiful ocean under the light of the rising sun, blue and bright, filled with eyes. A quiet voice spoke in his head, wondering if this what was the universe meant when his mother assured, one late night when he was young, that his fear of the ocean would disappear, and he would learn to love it.

Poetic, maybe, and surely a coincidence, but he wondered if that was the universe's way of saying his mother had been right, just not about the correct ocean.

"Can I be honest with you Mal?" Trip asked then, after a few deep breaths, and Malcolm nodded, somewhat anxious. "You might think of me as a hopeless romantic or some needy sonofabitch, but... I kinda never wanna stop kissin' ya" he mumbled, and Malcolm chuckled to himself, shaking his head, tension gone.

"I expected to feel like that whenever I kissed my soulmate. From the books and documentaries I've seen and read, it is one of the side effects of meeting your perfect pair" he said, always technical, making Trip smirk at him.

"Books and documentaries? God, I do have a nerd for a mate, don' I?" he snorted, moving to get more comfortable on the bed, crossing one leg underneath the other and watching Malcolm closely. "No one ever told you a single soulmate story?"

"Not that I can recall, no" he said, honestly. "My family never had soulmates before, not that I know of, and thus they simply never told us anything about it. My sister and I learned for ourselves."

"That's crazy! I never heard of a family that never had a soulmate before!" Trip said, getting into his detective mode suddenly. "Tell me, not even a distant relative? A cousin, a great granduncle?"

"My family isn't too extended, Trip. I have two uncles, one aunt... they have two children each, not much more. None of them have a soulmark, at least, like I said, no one has ever told me they had one. Although if they did have it, they wouldn't tell anyone anyway. Like I didn't."

"I was beginning to question that, actually" Trip put his hand under his chin, scratching it lightly. "You really never told anyone? Your parents don't know about it?"

"No, they don't. They don't know I have a soulmark, much less your name. I don't want to tell them, ever" Malcolm explained, and Trip's frown was enough inquiry. "Asides from being a very traditional family, we are also very conservative. My parents never even imagined one of their children being gay, as their parents hadn't either, and so one and so forth. Being a Starfleet officer instead of a Marine in the Royal Navy is offense enough, I never even dreamt about coming out of the closet, as you americans put it."

"We haven't put it like that for at least fifty years Malcolm" Trip said, tilting his head. "For all I knew, being gay, straight, bi, cis, trans, it didn't matter anymore. It sure doesn't to my folks, or any friends of the family."

"To my parents, it does matter, and it matters quite a lot" Malcolm said, turning to face the picture that Trip had so kindly placed on top of his desk. He would throw it back in his underwear drawer as quickly as possible. "Of course we have met several different people, and being polite and quiet as they always are, they never disrespected anyone openly. However behind closed doors, in the midst of family dinners and closed conversations, their bigotry is very transparent" he explained, crossing his arms and looking down. "It wasn't until I began my training in Starfleet when I felt free enough to experiment. I mean I never would have if it wasn't the name on my wrist but... I had to know if I would ever like men, at all, didn't I?"

"You dated other guys for me?" Trip asked, looking surprised and then making a face that made Malcolm snort. "Okay now that I said that out loud... I don't like it very much."

"Well, yes, in a way I dated other men for you" Malcolm said, and Trip's frown grew. "Don't be jealous, it has been some time since I dated for the last time. I was too busy trying to get my hands into a deep space mission to care about going out with guys or girls."

"Don' make me very happy to think of you with other guys, gonna be honest Mal" the engineer mumbled, a pout on his lip, one that Malcolm couldn't help but catch in a kiss. It was responded right away, Trip's hand traveling up to his face again, gasping when Malcolm bit down the pouty lip. "Hey!"

"Sorry, my bad" he mumbled, not sorry at all or planning to stop, leaning closer and forgetting about the ache on his back, sucking Trip's bottom lip into his mouth and then licking against it, swallowing the younger man's gasp and pulling him closer. The pull was firm and left Trip unbalanced, leaning in and letting go of Malcolm's face to support himself, legs to Malcolm's right, arms one on each side of his shoulders. Now relaxed and with the heart hammering inside his chest, he armory officer pulled Trip closer with even more resolve, until he moved enough to lean on top of him, bigger body covering Malcolm's with ease. He still held his weight on his arms, aware of Malcolm's weakened state, but their mouths opened and closed, kissing, sucking and licking, exploring each other's with a ferocity neither knew much about. It was like they had done this many times before, and never, all at the same time. It was new, but familiar, in a strange, instinctive way.

When they pulled, Malcolm wasted no time, kissing down Trip's cheek to his neck, the man moaning in a soft gasp and arms buckling a little before he regained strength, finally his legs parting to straddle Malcolm. Thank fuck, he was already growing irritated by the blonde's hesitance.

"Mal?" Trip asked, voice high pitched, before he moaned at a particular bite from Malcolm against his pulse point. "Malcolm you're recovering!"

"We are not doing anything" he replied, although the burning on his lower stomach said something else. Trip grunted, biting his bottom lip and pulling away, looking down at Malcolm, the brit furrowing his eyebrows.

"No. I promised myself I would be a gentleman, and you're still recovering your back."

"Trip, we aren't doing anything!"

"Tell that to my hormones" he mumbled, pulling himself away and sitting on the chair again. Malcolm sighed, sitting up, pushing his hair back with a brush of his own hand. "After you're healed... after a good dinner... hopeless romantic remember?"

"Fine. We will do it your way, this time, mister Tucker" Malcolm said, smiling, and then leaning in to steal a kiss from Trip anyway. The quick movement made a sharp pain go down his back, but he masked it with a sigh. "Don't take too long to visit."

"I will be here tomorrow, as soon as I have my break. Now, want something from the mess hall? I can bring it over if you'd like."

"Hmmm... food does sound good" Malcolm considered, smiling at Trip. "Anything that isn't meatloaf."

"Alright! Done and done" Trip stood up, leaning down and pecking Malcolm on the lips. "I will be back in a few, wait for me!"

"I'm not going anywhere" Malcolm responded, rolling his eyes as Trip made his way out of the room.

Well, that was what it was. Soulmates.

Better than he ever imagined.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
